In A Shining Castle
by becauseimbatman7
Summary: What if Belle was an archer who stumbled upon the Beast in the woods?
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a girl in the woods with her father. She was happy and loved him dearly. Her favorite thing to do was practice archery in her spare time when she wasn't doing chores around the house. As the years passed, she became quite good and surpassed even her father in hunting.

Her name was Belle, because she saw the beauty in everything. But she especially loved roses. She would go in the woods often to search for wild flowers and then take them home and make exceptional things from them, like crowns and wreaths for Christmas.

Her father was exceptional also, for he was a wonderful inventor, who made things that helped Belle with her chores around the house. He had made it so that they had running water that came up from the nearby stream, a clothes washing contraption for his daughter, and he was even working on a machine that could cut wood.

When he finally finished it, Belle bid him off with a fair well kiss, and went back to her cleaning. When she was done, she decided to go hunting in the forest - but this forest was one that she had never been in.

As she climbed the steep hills and searched the ground for tracks, she found rather large wolf prints in the snow. Following these foot prints were smaller ones. Curiosity got the best of her, and she followed the prints without thought of what danger may lie ahead.

When she reached the top of a hill, there was a rather large meadow. But in the middle of it, was a great battle going on. A huge beast of some sort was being snapped and bitten at by a pack of small white wolves.

Belle immediately felt sympathy for the great beast, and drew an arrow, shooting the white wolves down, one by one. She wasn't one to kill for sport, so she only shot them in places that she knew would eventually heal.

The great beast looked at her, tired and worn out, and fell to the ground.

Belle rushed to his side and looked him over, and then shook him softly as he looked up at her. "You need to try and stand, I can't lift you by myself," she told him. The beast looked at her with his blue eyes and slowly got to his feet, and then she helped him to her horse. where he slowly got on and tried his best to stay upward.

But where did he come from?

"Go that way," he said pointing up ahead. And so she lead her horse through the dark path in the woods, up to what appeared to be a giant but dark castle.

Belle opened the gate and lead her horse inside, and the beast slowly got off. Falling against her, Belle tried to hold his weight against her as best as she could.

They opened the door and the beast wobbled up the stairs. When they got to his room, he looked at her strangely, saying simply, "Stay, my servants will attend to you." Then he slammed the door in her face.

 _That's odd_ , Belle thought.

But she went back down the stairs, and called out, "Is anyone here?"

There was a clock and candlestick sitting nearby and as she picked up the candlestick, a voice said, "Hello."

"What the…who's there?"

The candlestick tapped her on the head. She looked at him and saw a face, and almost dropped him in shock.

"There you go, Lumiere! Now you've done it!" Came another voice, this one grumpy and deep.

Belle looked at the clock.

His face came alive and he looked back at her defiantly.

"Where am I?"

"Excuse me, my lady. This is the castle of the beast that you carried in - he is the master of the house. Come, come, let us show you to your room."

"But I can't stay, I only came to help the beast back to his home."

"Ahem, my name is Cogsworth, Madam. I'm afraid that will not do. You see, there is a spell on the castle, once you come in, you cannot get out, I'm afraid."

Belle swallowed. "But my father —"

"Your father will find you if you so wish, but I wouldn't suggest it as the spell would leave him here too."

"I suppose you can show me to a room, then, if you have one."

"Of course we have plenty! This is a castle after all," Cogsworth snapped.

What had she gotten herself into?


	2. Chapter 2

2.

What kind of place was this? A talking candelabra and a small clock were leading her down a dark hall, and as she looked around, she could see that this castle not only had a spell on it, but it must have been some sort of dark curse that came on it.

As she passed every knight, she could almost feel invisible eyes on her as they slowly turned their helmets and got a glance at her small form. And what about her father? He would come home and find that she wasn't there and had gotten lost in the woods.

He would try to look for her every day, and never find her.

The thought brought tears to her eyes and they slowly made their way down her face. He couldn't very well come to the castle — he too would be stuck there forever, and as she thought of how much he loved the village and his small inventions, she found her heart breaking, because she refused to bring the spell of the castle on him too.

Suddenly a door opened, and she looked down at Lumiere and Cogsworth, who both gave her a bright smile.

"I know it is hard, but think of it like this: you're not a prisoner, you're our…guest," Lumiere said in his French accent softly. "Get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow things will be better for you."

So Belle walked in and closed the door behind her, calling softly, "Thank you for your kindness."

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The next day, Belle woke up in a daze. She had dreamed of the beast, but there was something else. In the dream, his animal like form melted away to form into a handsome prince. He had said her name several times, as though he was right next to her.

Just as her thoughts of him were forming, she thought she heard a door close swiftly. She shot around and was too late to see who it had been, but she had a feeling the beast or his servants attended to her in her sleep, as she wasn't even in her normal outfit.

Suddenly she felt embarrassed.

A voice spoke up, "Oh don't worry, I'm — well I would be a lady if it weren't for this awful spell."

Belle looked over and the wardrobe was talking to her.

"Oh, thank goodness. I just…I thought maybe."

"We would never be so bold as to allow a male servant to dress you, silly! That's for the master. You are a woman, and I can surely help you find something to wear, now — off with those pajamas!"

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Belle felt rather ridiculous wearing a pink dress that seemed made for royalty as she walked down the stairs. And where was everybody?

Abruptly, Lumiere and Cogsworth were at her side. "So breakfast is waiting, as well as your host," Lumiere said. They walked with her to the dining room and she sat at the end of the table — the beast on the opposite end.

Without missing a beat, the beast looked at her and said, "What was a woman like you doing out in my part of the woods? No body from the village has ever come here before."

"I don't usually come to these woods, the villagers are superstitious about these parts so they stay away, but…I'm a lady who likes adventure you could say."

"Adventure? What do you mean?"

She picked up a fork and reached for the teapot when it started talking to her. "Hello, dear, I'm Mrs. Potts." She smiled, "And this is Chip."

A little teacup looked around Mrs. Potts and giggled.

"Chip hold still!"

"Sorry."

Mrs. Potts pours tea into Chip and Belle picked him up, smiling as she took a small sip and he giggled again.

The beast's chest rumbled and he snapped. "You were saying?"

"Well, I like archery. My father taught me how to hunt growing up, because we can't afford the village market prices very well. I was looking for tracks when I caught sight of yours, and then I saw smaller ones following them."

The beast's brow raised. "So you would have shot me had the smaller wolves not been there? That's encouraging."

Belle straightened up, "No, you're much too big — I could hardly hold your weight as we got back here, and even if you were smaller, I don't hunt wolves or bears. I hunt rabbits and deer, that kind of thing." Then she added, "And I use as much of the carcass as I can, because unlike some hunters…" Her thoughts drifted to Gaston, the arrogant fool of the village…"Unlike some I have respect for every animal I kill. I don't kill for sport."

The beast started to eat, his face in his bowl. Belle picked up her fork and showed it to him, "I'm assuming this thing won't talk." She showed him how to bring it to his mouth, but his large hands couldn't seem to work with him.

Instead, she thought for a minute and then picked up her bowl and sipped the oatmeal in it.

The beast gave her a strange but grateful look and copied her.

"Why is there a spell on this castle?" Belle asked, her voice bold.

The beast looked at her and sighed, "Because I was once a foolish young man," he replied simply.

"But there must be a way to break the curse?"

"That's enough talk for now, I'm going to my study to read."

"Read? Can you teach me?" Belle asked.

"You don't know how to read?" The beast laughed.

Belle felt ashamed, and then looked up to see Mrs. Potts and Lumiere glaring hard at him.

"I never had any books growing up," Belle explained.

Now it was the beast's turn to feel ashamed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have laughed, it's just…I was spoiled growing up. My parents had the finest tutors for me."

Belle looked at him. "Then teach me, I would love to be able to read. And write, if you don't mind."

"Well, we do have time, I suppose, come along then," the beast smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

The Beast and Belle were sitting at a small square table. "I usually play chess with Cogsworth on this when I have nothing better to do," he said, looking up at her. She was very beautiful, he noted, and secretly lamented that she would always be there with him - but out of reach at the same time. Who could ever learn to love someone like him?

Cogsworth and Lumiere were sitting on the mantle piece close by, arguing quietly with each other about something. The beast's chest rumbled angrily and they immediately were still.

Belle looked at them and then at him. "You know you could be nicer to your servants, they just want to help you. Even if whatever happened to you happened to them - they aren't bitter towards you, obviously."

The beast looked at her and then looked at Cogsworth and Lumiere, who were both shocked but then smiled at each other. "Yes. I suppose you're right," he stated, "but focus - you wanted to learn to read and write, remember?"

Belle's eyes fell back on the book in front of them. She had learned all the letters, she had always been a fast learner, and now it was time to start sounding them out.

"Read this line," the Beast said.

"Two..cities…in fair…what's that word?"

"Sound it out," the Beast encouraged. He noticed a small smile at that thought, and thought on it for a minute. His heart began to beat a little fast.

"V..er..ona. Verona!" Belle clapped happily.

"Very good. Verona is a city in Italy," he explained. "I think you'll like this one, it's a romance…but also tragic."

"But how could a romance be tragic?" Belle asked.

The Beast thought for a moment. "Sometimes, people misunderstand each other. I guess this is a bad example for the thought I'm trying to explain but…it's complicated. One person can be in love with another, and the other might not love them in return…" He thought for a moment. "Or two people might be in love but something happens that keeps them a part, like family, or people that don't approve." He hated to think how it sounded, because every time he thought of trying to explain romance, it always involved his situation somehow.

It wasn't that he loved her. But he knew that if he opened up too much to her she would reject him and he couldn't bear the thought.

Mrs. Potts came rolling in on her cart with a couple cups, and offered them both some tea.

Belle took a cup gratefully, and drank from it.

"No cream or sugar?" The Beast asked, surprised.

"I've always thought that tea tastes funny with cream and sugar. It cools the tea down too fast, I like it hot," she explained.

"I've never had tea without cream - when I was younger, my mother would always make sure I had cream and sugar because she knew I didn't like it without."

"What happened to your parents?" Belle asked.

The Beast swallowed and looked away, "They died, right before I was to become King."

"King? So then there is a spell on you - how do we break it?"

"We don't," The Beast replied softly. He couldn't reveal the curse to anyone, the enchantress had made sure that whoever could love him would have to do it without ever knowing the whole truth of the story.

He thought on the past, and how whoever came could never leave. The enchantress had erased all memory of the castle from the villagers, it was pure accident on Belle's part that she had found him, but he was grateful none the less.

"By the way, thank you, for saving my life," he looked at her with sincere gratitude.

She smiled at him again, and his heart beat faster again. "You're welcome," she said simply. "Now, let's get back to this tragic romance."

He laughed, "Alright."


	4. Chapter 4

4.

Belle thought for a moment. "How did you get out of the castle and into the woods? If there's a spell on the whole place and no one can leave then…"

"Why can I?" The Beast looked at her.

"Well, yeah."

"My servants haven't been entirely honest with you—"

"So there is a way out," Belle questioned.

"For me, there is a way out. I can cross the castle grounds because I am the master of the castle. I know what you're thinking, it should be a great idea, right?"

"Yes," Belle replied in a quiet voice.

"I was running away. I think the…position I am under makes for an interesting case. A Beast locked in a castle, but I am not locked because running away makes the rose petals—"

"Rose petals? Who said anything about a rose?"

Cogsworth jumped from the mantle to the table. "Master, I don't think this is a good idea."

The Beast growled at him and Belle slapped him on the wrist. "Ouch! That hurt!" He turned to her.

"You shouldn't talk to them that way. Now, I want the truth. I may be stuck here but you aren't and if you can get out, then you can at least bring my father here."

"It doesn't work that way. I left the castle because I wanted to die!" The Beast shouted, then covered his face.

"What do you mean?" Belle held a hand up to the one covering his face.

He started to shake, and Belle did something she didn't think she would.

She hugged him.

He stiffened in her arms for a minute, and then stood back, staring down at her. "There is a curse on me and everyone in the castle. I was…arrogant. It was all my fault. There was an intruder — well, someone that came here needing shelter from the storm one night. She offered me a single rose. It was the only thing she had on her besides her clothes. I laughed in her face and turned her away. But she gave me a warning that not everything was about appearances. I told her to go away again, and she became this…light. The most beautiful light you have ever seen. And then she transformed me into this." He sighed, opening his cloak and showing her the rest of his animal form. "You're right, my servants were innocent, but because they lived here, they were cursed too."

"The rose petals you spoke of, that's the rose she gave you, isn't it?"

The Beast looked at her. "Running away makes them fall faster, that's why I can leave and you can't. Because my life as a monster is transformed more and more the petals fall. I figured, if I am to die as a monster, why not quicken the process?"

"I want to help you, how do we break the curse?"

The Beast looked at her simply and said, "You can't change what is destined for me."

Belle stared up at him defiantly. "If you want to die a Beast, I can't stop you. But you could at least consider your servants well being."

And then she ran out of the study and up the stairs.

 **AN/ There, now you know why he can leave and she can't. I might as well say it here too: I don't own Beauty and the Beast**


	5. Chapter 5

5.

The Beast cowered down in his chair, his hands covering his face again.

"Well, now you've done it!" Cogsworth practically snarled. "The curse was a secret! Now we'll never be free!"

Lumiere jumped onto the table and smacked Cogsworth. "He didn't tell her how to fix the curse, we're fine."

"He may as well have!"

"Stop it, you overgrown pocket watch!" Lumiere shouted.

The Beast shuddered and they finally noticed that he seemed to be on the verge of breaking down. Lumiere turned to him, "Master, you must know that we don't want you to die, especially as a Beast! Why would you—"

"She's right," The Beast said. "You did nothing and I cursed you all along with me."

Mrs. Potts gave him a bittersweet smile. "We could have raised you better after your parents died, we could have made sure you turned out more like your parents, instead of spoiling you as we did. We earned our place in this curse just as much as you."

Lumiere looked up at The Beast. "Master, there is still time. She doesn't know how to fix the curse, and you must let things be as they may."

"Do you think she could be the one?" Cogsworth looked at Lumiere with hope.

"I don't know, but either way, love cannot happen over night. If he is to win her over, he has to learn to control himself. There is still a Prince inside that heart."

The Beast looked at them. "So many times I lost control. So many times, I've let this…this damnation over take me. I don't know if I can control it!"

"Of course you can," Mrs. Potts replied cheerfully. "Just be yourself—a kind Prince, not a monstrous beast that she sees. You're parents raised you to be worthy of someone like her, forget about your past mistakes and make a change if you see something within that you don't like!"

The Beast straightened up. "Okay, I guess I should go to her."

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There was a knock at the bedroom door. Belle sighed, and then said, "Come in." She wasn't expecting what she saw.

The Beast looked her over and said simply, "You're right. They are so loyal and I don't understand why."

"Maybe it's because they love you."

The Beast looked down at Belle and asked, "Why? Why should servants love their master? Why should anyone love me - especially after everything that's happened?"

"They helped raise you apparently, and nobody wishes anyone ill will like this - even if it was partly their fault for not helping you behave better after your parents died. Maybe, well, it's hard to lose a parent. Especially both."

"I don't understand."

"They just want what's best for you - maybe they thought spoiling you would ease the pain. Instead it backfired, with whatever spell you're under. People make mistakes, even in the most simple ways. My father - well, I love him but he wasn't always the best at making decisions when it came to me."

"Can I ask you something?" Belle scooted over and the Beast sat down next to her on the bed.

"You just did," she laughed. "Ask away."

"What happened to your mother?"

"I don't really know to be honest, I know she's alive, but she left when I was very young. I guess she didn't want to be married and have a daughter anymore. I remember them fighting constantly. I remember she hated that my father was teaching me how to hunt for food. That was something she didn't think young ladies should be learning. But if I hadn't, we would have probably starved. My father has gotten older, to the point where he can't anymore. That's why it's so crucial that I leave here somehow. He could be out in the cold without anything to eat."

The Beast thought for a second. "Come with me," he replied.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

The Beast led Belle up the stairs and to the right. She started to look around and saw statues of monsters. There was a mirror that they passed when they got to the end of the hall that was smashed into pieces.

"This is the West Wing," The Beast told her. "Normally, no one is allowed up here but desperate times calls for desperate measures."

He led her into the wide room with two big doors and she stopped in front of a picture of three happy people, but it had been damaged somehow so she couldn't tell who any of them were with the slashed marks on it.

"Are you coming?" The Beast barked.

"Sorry, yes."

Then she saw it. In the middle of the room on a balcony that seemed to over look the castle grounds, was a glowing red rose under some sort of glass bell jar. As he led her over to it, he picked up what was a round mirror, heavy and intricate designs all over it.

He held it out to her and she took it. "This mirror will show you anyone or anything in the world, just ask."

Belle swallowed hard and looked into the mirror, saying, "I'd like to see my father, please."

The mirror swirled around and gleamed before a picture of her father riding in the woods on his horse, being chased by wolves appeared.

"No! He's being attacked by those same wolves that attacked you, he and our horse, Phillip! They will never escape if I don't do something."

The Beast looked at her and said, "I am the only one who can leave the castle, remember? This is my doing, so I will go to your father. But I will need something of yours to prove I'm being honest and not just out to kill him myself."

"But the rose petals, you could die!"

"A life for a life then, because you saved me."

Belle looked at him. For the first time she could see into his blue eyes and there was no monster or stranger under a spell, just a kind soul caught in some monstrous form for what seemed to her to be no reason.

"Stay up here and watch as I leave for the woods, make sure you keep the mirror on you - that way you can keep track of us."

She suddenly hugged him tightly and he was shocked. But then he smiled down at her.

"I have to get going," he said, and then he was gone.

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The Beast raced through the forest at fantastic speeds. He reached the hill that he had been on when Belle had found him. Belle's father was cornered by not wolves - but a hunter who was laughing with his friends, demanding to know where Belle was.

He saw red.

The next thing he knew he was growling, surrounded by the men who had been taunting Belle's father. They were each aiming a bow at him, ready to strike. He didn't have time to think, instead he grabbed Belle's father who was now unconscious and broke through the crowd of men.

As the Beast through her father onto his back, he dodged arrows and gunfire, knowing that even if they shot him, the rose petals were still falling faster and faster at the castle.

The chase was on.

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Belle paced back and forth, biting her nails as she looked on in the mirror. They were almost back to the castle, she could see. She looked over the balcony and at the edge of the grounds the Beast came.

But what was following him?

She saw the red and tan coats and a fire of anger grew inside her. So Gaston had taken her father out into the woods with the wolves!

But now they were almost at the doors to the castle. Belle looked at the rose, it only had five petals left after he had done all that running.

She put down the mirror and raced down the stairs. As soon as the doors flew open she heard a resounding gunshot and Mrs. Potts suddenly was beside her on her cart. There was her quiver and bow. "I thought you might be needing these from your room, Miss."

"Thank you."

And then she ran out into the growing darkness where the Beast had laid her father down. She and the Beast struggled with him up the stairs and shut the doors again.

"I know you think of yourself as a monster, but you're not. You're something different. You risked everything to save my father. How can I ever pay you back?"

"Well, right now let's deal with these invaders," The Beast replied.

"By the way, what is your real name?"

"Adam."

"It's a lot less harsh than Beast, isn't it?"

He laughed as Belle opened the door and raced out to face Gaston. She looked back at Adam, and said briefly, take care of him."

He nodded.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

Belle snuck forward and hid behind a hedge, Gaston was standing at the foot of the castle with his men. "What is this place?" He laughed manically. "Some sort of foolish dream? No matter, when I find the beast I will kill him and Maurice, and then Belle will be mine."

Belle looked around the hedge and steadied her bow and shot Gaston through the knee. He howled, turning towards her and aimed his gun at her.

"Well, well, boys. The rabbit has come out of her hole to play with the wolves."

"You tried to kill my father, you monster!"

"I did what had to be done to make you my wife."

Belle laughed loudly. "I would be an old beggar woman before I would even consider the thought of marrying someone like you," she spat at him.

She aimed her bow again just before he shot his gun. The bullet went up above her head as the gun rocked in his hand.

She shot him in the hand.

They started to move in toward her as Gaston shouted, "She's as mad as her old man! If she won't be my wife, then kill her."

Belle shot each and every one of the men dead as quickly as she could and then aimed her bow right at Gaston's heart. "Any last words?" She snarled.

He fired his gun again, and she felt a burning pain in her side as she looked down and saw blood. Suddenly there was a roar and she looked up to see Adam slashing and growling at Gaston. He fell to the ground, begging to be let go.

"Get out!" Adam screamed at him and Gaston got up and ran as fast as he could away.

Belle fell to the ground and blacked out.

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Voices were in her dream. One her father's, and another Adam's. Mrs. Potts and Lumiere were in the background as well as Cogsworth. Belle wrestled and a big hand, almost like a paw, covered her forehead.

"She saved our lives," Belle heard Adam say.

"Does this mean you care for the girl?" Lumiere asked softly.

"I think…I think I'm falling in love with her," Adam replied.

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Belle was soon up and back to herself, and she was so happy to see her father. But she wondered what she could do to repay Adam for what he had done for them.

So one day, she asked.

Adam thought for a moment and then said, "We could read together if you'd like?"

Lumiere interrupted them. "No, no, I suggest a simple alternative."

"What would that be?" Belle asked.

"A dance. Adam loved to dance with his mother when he was a child."

Adam looked away shyly, and Belle put her hand on his paw. "Okay then, a dance."

Her father looked at them from across the room with Mrs. Potts. "There's something there, isn't there?"

"Yes indeed, she replied. "Something that wasn't there before. We haven't had guests in so long, and it's as though your daughter is changing him constantly."

"What happened to him?" Maurice asked.

"He was cursed for a rose."

"A rose? Why?"

"Because after his parents died, we didn't teach him the proper way to behave around people. And so he was punished for being foolish and uncaring."

Maurice looked at them from across the room again. "But he saved my life, and Belle said at the risk of his own."

"Yes, well, many things have changed since she arrived."

Maurice smiled.

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"How am I supposed to know how I feel about her?"

"She is the one! I know it now - you love her - you said it yourself."

Adam shook and his fur sprayed water all over the room. "But how do I tell her?"

"You'll know, when the moment is right you will confess your love."

"What if she doesn't feel the same way?" Adam replied.

Lumiere and Cogsworth stared him down. "You must be brave, this is no time to be timid, there are four petals left on the rose. I refuse to become a silent candelabra. And you, you are not a beast, Master."

"Leave it to us," Cogsworth said, and then they got to work.

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At the top of the stairs opposite of him, stood Belle. She was in a yellow dress that seemed to flow as she moved. She slowly came down stairs and he followed suit.

They met, and joined hands, going down the stairs. There was a piano and a violin playing and Belle giggled. Adam looked at her. "What is it?"

"I've never danced in my life!"

"Follow my lead."

They started slowly, and then gradually glided across the floor. Maurice and Mrs. Potts were in the corner. "It's almost like a tale as old as time," she said to him. "A woman comes to know a beast, and he learns to love her in return."

Maurice nodded. "Yes, I suppose it is. Wait, he loves her?"

Mrs. Potts laughed from her cart. "Of course, you can tell by the way he looks at her.

Suddenly there was a great pounding at the door. Adam and Belle stopped dancing and ran to the balcony. "Invaders!" She said. "This is all my doing. I'm so sorry, Adam."

"Don't ever be sorry that we met. I…I…"

"You what?" Belle prompted.

"I'm in love with you, Belle."


	8. Chapter 8

8.

"I…" Belle started but Adam cut her off.

"I know it's impossible to think you could or would ever come to love me in return but I had to say it. Especially if they come, you know whoever comes can never leave."

"But what about Gaston? How did he leave, and where's my horse Phillip, too?"

Maurice came up beside them. "Phillip didn't make it, they handed him over to the wolves right before Adam found me."

Belle shook with tears. Her long beautiful companion was now dead, another victim of Gaston.

"Where is he?!" She turned to Adam.

"He's been alone on the hedges, the spell keeps him as he screams for help. I don't know who could have found us."

Maurice looked at Belle. "Lefou would have come looking for the castle when Gaston failed to return, knowing he's a coward, he would have brought men with him."

"Master, what shall we do?" Lumiere said, coming up to them.

"This is war," Belle said before Adam could answer, and as she marched toward the doors, Adam, Maurice, and all the objects followed her.


	9. Chapter 9

9.

Belle reached for the door, but before she could open it, Adam turned to Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Cogsworth.

"Everyone get into your natural places, we're going to scare the daylights out of these intruders if it's the last thing we do. Belle and I will go outside, Maurice - you stay here out of sight. I won't have Belle's father getting in harms way."

Maurice nodded solemnly and the coatrack pulled him aside to stand still with him.

Belle looked at Adam. "It's now or never, right?"

Adam smirked in the funny way that a Beast only could, and opened the wide doors. The candles all blew out and Belle got out her bow and quiver of arrows on her back. She started to hear the sound of Gaston laughing manically, as though he had already won.

He shouted out to the castle, "Well, it seems the odds are in my favor now, Belle," he laughed again. "Did you really think Lefou wouldn't come looking for his best companion, and the town's folk wouldn't wonder what happened to their infamous hero?!"

"So stop your yapping and let's get this over with!" Belle roared back.

Adam flinched next to her. "You're scary when you're mad," he explained.

She smiled back. "You know it."

Suddenly an arrow flew right between them and hit the door behind.

Adam snuck back and snapped it off, closing the doors. If their plan was to work, everything had to be perfectly quiet in the castle.

Belle cackled at whoever had shot it, "Is that really the best you can do?"

Gaston swore at the villager who had done it and took their gear from them. "Since you're all incompetent at hunting, let me have a go at Belle and the Beast and you guys invade whoever is in the castle!"

The crowd moved forward and watched to see what Gaston would do next, before sneaking toward the castle.

Belle looked at Adam. "We have to move!"

"Where do you suggest?"

She motioned to the left where the fountain was and they climbed over the stone and went behind the frozen water.

Gaston was clearly a hunter, climbing to the castle walls. He started looking around and quickly spotted Adam.

Belle yelled, "Run!" They took off for the next tree that they could find. "I need to get a clear shot of him, but this spell you have limits us!"

Before she could say anything else, Adam looked at her, determined, and said, "No matter what happens, I love you."

Belle screamed at him as he took off after Gaston, climbing the castle after him. "No, Adam!"

She started to see them fight and came out of the trees, yelling at Gaston. "You are a disgusting waste of a human!"

"Having your precious Beast fight your battles for you now, Belle? If you're such a good archer then come face me yourself!"

Adam clawed at him, but Gaston jumped back. Belle thought of his words and said to herself, "I'm ending this."

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Meanwhile the crowd of villagers and Lefou stood at the door and slowly opened it. "This place is familiar for some reason," one of them said to the other.

"It's almost as if we've been here before…"

Lefou shushed them with a glare and just as he turned back he heard a loud French accent say, "Now!"

Suddenly he was being beat over the head by a coatrack and had something hot like tea being poured down his front. He shrieked and started to try to get away from whatever the hot liquid was, but the coatrack kept his lock on him tight.

It was pure chaos, Lumiere was setting people on fire, and Cogsworth had grabbed a pair of scissors to stab sharply into people's butts.

Mrs. Potts was of course, moving on from Lefou and was pouring tea at just about anything and anyone in harms way.

The villagers screamed and shouted about the castle being haunted and turned to the doors and ran out into the snow.

But the spell kept them within the grounds, and they looked frightened on as the last villager left the castle and the doors closed themselves.

"How do we get out of here?!" One villager shouted.

A voice came from behind Lefou, "You don't."

It was the Enchantress.

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Belle had climbed the walls and was facing off against Gaston, Adam trying desperately to lead her away.

"Looks like your friend is too gentle and kind to do anything himself!"

"At least he's a man! A real man! Someone who doesn't think I'm weird for wanting to be anywhere besides that village! He taught me to read, he's a gentleman, unlike you - a pigheaded buffoon!"

"Oh, big words for such a small minded mouse!" Gaston urged her on.

Finally Gaston did it, he aimed for Belle and she for him, and Adam stepped between as the two arrows hit him. He fell over, death at his door, and Belle looked up at Gaston laughing just before she shot him in the heart and he choked and fell to his death off the castle.

Belle immediately grabbed Adam before the same happened to him, and she looked down at him, tears in her eyes.

"You called me a man," Adam said, his eyes soft and filled with love.

"Of course I did, you are a man, you just have to see it for yourself."

"Belle…" he started to fade, "it's better this way. You could never learn to love me…anyway." He breathed harder and harder.

"Adam, I already do love you."

The Enchantress on the ground below, heard the words, and in her minds eye saw as the last petal fell.

And then it happened. Belle slowly got up off of him as Adam took to the sky, churning in the air in a glow, his paws turning back to feet and hands, and his face melting away to reveal the most handsome man she had ever seen.

He had long blonde hair and as he turned toward her, she looked and saw the bluest eyes - the ones Adam had had.

He looked down at himself…and then back up at Belle.

"Not bad, not bad at all," he smiled at her before slowly coming over and leaning in.

And they kissed long and softly, before she broke away and said, "I hate to ruin the moment, but we should probably get down."

They both laughed.

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Mrs. Potts knocked on the door gently. "Breakfast!"

"We're staying in today," Adam growled playfully on the other side. She could hear Belle laughing as he grabbed her and they kissed again.

Mrs. Potts chuckled and left, leaving the newly weds to themselves.

On the other side of the door, were a naked Adam and Belle, and the sun rose and shined on the now freed grounds that were no longer frozen. They made love all morning.

 **The End**


End file.
